1 July 1881 The 38th Regiment became The 1st Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment.

The 1st/South Staffordshire Regiment had an average strength of 702 men. It had 558 admissions (794.8/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 2 deaths (2.85/1000 mean strength). 17 invalids were returned to England.

Its average daily sick was 39.30 (55.98/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 20.29 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 25.52 days.

The 1st/South Staffordshire Regiment had an average strength of 445 men. It had 367 admissions (824.7/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 3 deaths (6.74 deaths/1000 mean strength). 19 invalids returned to England.

Its average constantly sick was 28.15 (63.25/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 23.08 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 27.99 days.

8 July 1882 The 1st/South Staffordshire embarked for Egypt, where it arrived on 17 July 1882.

The South Staffordshire Regiment was the first regiment to land in Egypt in 1882, after the bombardment of Alexandria. It took an active part in the operations which succeeded, and revisited that country in 1884 to join the Expeditionary Force for the rescue of General Gordon.

Drummer 38th FootThere was a little drummer No bigger than my thumbI put him on a pint potAnd there I bid him drum(Main Guard Valletta)

12 May 1883 The 1st/South Staffordshire Regiment left Egypt and disembarked in Malta on 16 May. Dysentery broke out amongst the troops returning from Egypt.

The 1st/South Staffordshire Regiment had an average strength of 562 men. It had 504 admissions (896.7/1000 mean strength) into hospital with 4 deaths (7.11 deaths/1000 mean strength). 12 invalids returned to England.

Its average constantly sick was 31.25 (55.60/1000 mean strength). The average sick time to each soldier was 20.29 days. The average duration of cases of sickness was 22.63 days. The PMO, Surgeon General W Sinclair remarked that the regiment had returned from Egypt where it had gone through the late campaign, and no doubt the men were debilitated by exposure and hard work. Most of the admissions for dysentery occurred among the men of this corps and were mostly of a severe type.

Two men recovered from near drowning when their boat capsized in the Grand Harbour and they were submerged for a while. A soldier committed suicide by cutting his throat while in a state of temporary insanity.